The failure of a prosecution witness to appear in court has thrown a lifeline to the five Omanis being held in India, accused of marrying underage girls.
The men were arrested last September by police investigating underage marriages in Hyderabad and have been held in the city for a year now.
The Omani men have asserted from the day of their capture that they are restorative vacationers.
On Monday, the men were conveyed to court with the goal that they could hear prove from an indictment witness. The witness neglected to show up in court and the indictment attorneys said the witness couldn't be found.
Likewise present in the court on Monday was Dr Khalid receptacle Hamed Al Ghailani, Minister Plenipotentiary, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman in New Delhi.
In a select meeting with the Times of Oman, Al Ghailani stated: "The offended party or complainant assumed be available at the hearing yet the indictment gave over an appeal to expressing that the complainant couldn't be found. In this way, the judge chose to expel her name from the rundown of witnesses."
"This is a positive improvement for the situation, in light of the fact that the expulsion of the name of the complainant from the rundown of witnesses is one of the extreme updates, which will assist the case with moving along in a more streamlined way, and the declaration of the rest of the witnesses will be to support the Omani respondents," he said.
Munther Al Salhi, 24, the child of one of the prisoners was quite glad to share his expectation.
“Monday gives us hope after the trial was postponed more than 12 times,” he revealed, speaking on behalf of his family.
“But we can’t confirm anything before we see our father in front of us.”
He added: “I am the eldest son and I have to take care of my five brothers. We call him every day to consult with us in our daily needs as no one can fill our father’s place.” One year later, the case for five of them continues to rumble on in Indian courts, with the hearing having been postponed more than 12 times since proceedings first began. Three of the men were released last March.
“Through the communication that the Sultanate’s government and the embassy are following up on the issue, led by Sheikh Hamed Al Rawahi, Oman’s ambassador to India, we hope the case will be concluded soon. The embassy also appreciates the efforts exerted by the Indian Foreign Affairs Cooperation and the High Court in Hyderabad to end this issue,” Dr. Khalid bin Hamed added.
In June, a delegation from the Oman Human Rights Commission arrived in India, accompanied by the family members, to meet all five of the detained Omanis.
Yousuf Al Afifi, OHRC Vice-Chairman said, “We hope that this initiative enabled the six detained Omanis to meet their family members and helped alleviate the pain they have gone through and brought joy and happiness to their families after a long time.”
When Indian police officials first arrested the Omanis, they confiscated all their electronic devices and passports. They spent a significant amount of time staying at a hotel, where they were detained while court proceedings to verify their innocence continued.
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